Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-02-10
Letter From California.

|
Dutch FLAT, CAL. I
Oct, %, 1887. !
DEAR MoTHER-Here we are in Cali
fornia all safe and well. We started
from Galena, ILL.,, Monday afternoon at
2 o'clock October the 18th and arrived
in this city the Saturday morning
following Aunt Ann and her husband,
Mr.. Mitchell met us on the train fifteen
miles from here. That evening we
reached Mendoza, ILL.,, at Z o'clock and
staid there until one o'clock the next
monring Tuesday when we took the
train for Council Bluffs, Iowa. never
saw such crowd in all my life going to
! Quincy, ILL.,, to soldiers reunion.
They all changed cars at Galesville
beautiful little city. The next city on
our route was Burlington grand city
Iowa is not as nice country as Illinois
We changed cars at Omaha, what time
We had, seemed as though there was
thousands of people almost impossible
to tell where you wanted to go. A
dozen trains ready to start at one time.
We bought mattress and curtains for
$500. The cars were sleepers without
cushions. We had to furnish our own
/ bedding. Took pillow and covers from
Aunt Francis Had to furnish our own
lunch, started with good deal but it
got dry, and had to get fresh every day.
Coffee ten cents cup. We had a very
pleasant time ON the train became
acquainted with everybody. If any one
wants to come to California tell them to
take the emigrant train from Council
| Bluffs. AS far as there we were free to
go on the train wherever we wanted
| to-no difference between first and
second fare. / don't feel tired at all to-
day. There were four musicians on the
train so we had music all the time. We
were on the last of eighteen cars so we
could see out the back door. I sat on
the platform all the way during the day
light-everybody was very kind.
Ogallala, Nebraska, is beautiful
place. Denver, Colorado, is where we
first reached the great prairie not sign
of anything, but sand and sage brush,
with plenty of little huts made of sod
called dugouts. At Sidney, we stopped
and walked about the city. Leaving
there the prairie was alive with little
prairie dogs, about the size of good
sized rat, kept everyone laughing for
hours. The ground is all dug up with
their hills about as large as an ant hill !
Plenty of cowboys were herding sheep
and COWS.
Cheyenne in Wyoming Territory is
the most beautiful city l ever saw.
Laramie is also grand. Here we struck |
the Rocky Mountains, all covered with
snow, my so cold, had to get our shawls |
and mittens on. One can't see every
thing, for first one and then another |
says OH look! look! how grand. Got
out at Granger in Wyoming it was terri
BILE cold, but the mountains were 80 |
lovely, 1 can't describe them.
At Fish Cut the moabbeautiful sight
meets the eye, its b., tond description,
its so grand. There is where SO many
fostle fish are found The track is a |
constant curve The engine and last |
car are sometimes near together. Going
up the mountains it requires two engines
ahead and two behind the train At |
Cheyenne and Sidney we were 1878 feet |
higher on level than you are there at |
home. 1t seemed as though the stars
were as big again as at home and the |
sky SO near you. The rocks here are |
very soft. A cemetery on the noun
tains, wish you could see it. The Green |
river water the color of grass The |
mountains ON both sides of us as high |
as you can see, snow on one side, green
grass and sage brush on the other No |
use of trying to tell how beautiful as
words cannot express it. / got off and /
picked something every time the cars
stopped.
Apples % cents pound, butter 40
cents pound. Many coal pitts and SO
many horried snow sheds miles at a
time. At Evanston we saw the first |
China town. Querist sight l ever saw.
Will commence with Utah in my next |
letter and what l saw passing through. |
Your loving daughter,
IvAH.